(a)  No enforcement agency shall approve any park fronting upon any coastline, shoreline, river, or waterway or upon any lake or reservoir owned in whole or part by any public agency, including the state, unless the city, county, or city and county having jurisdiction over the property has determined that reasonable public access by fee or easement from public highways exists to the coastline, shoreline, river, waterway, lake or reservoir.

(b)  Any public access route or routes required to be provided by the owner shall be expressly designated on a map filed with the county recorder of the county in which the park lies, and the map shall specify the name of the owner of, and particularly describe the property involved, and designate the governmental entity to which the route or routes are dedicated. A governmental entity shall accept the dedication within three years after the recordation or the dedication shall be deemed abandoned.

(c)  Any public access required pursuant to this section need not be provided through or across the park if the city, county, or city and county having jurisdiction has made a finding that reasonable public access is otherwise available within a reasonable distance from the park. Any such findings shall be set forth on the recorded map required by this section.

(d)  Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring a park owner to improve any access route or routes that are primarily for the benefit of nontenants, nonoccupants, or nonresidents of the park.

(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 434, Sec. 39. Effective January 1, 2002. Operative January 1, 2004, by Sec. 44 of Ch. 434, as amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1038.)